The student news site of Downers Grove South High School

Blueprint
  • December 15Sunday matinee performance of "Elf" Dec. 15
  • December 12DGS Drama hosts "Elf" Musical Dec. 12-14 at 7 p.m.
  • December 9DGS opens winter art show on Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • December 9Learning commons serves hot cocoa on Dec. 13 at 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
  • November 25First boys basketball game Nov. 25 vs. Geneva
  • November 25Grove Express Nov. 28
  • November 25Thanksgiving break starts Nov. 27
  • November 18Saturday night performance of "Elf" Dec. 14
  • November 18Friday night performance of "Elf" Dec. 13
  • November 18Thursday night performance of "Elf" Dec. 12
The student news site of Downers Grove South High School

Blueprint
The student news site of Downers Grove South High School

Blueprint
Alexis Pragides

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director

Alexis Pragides is a senior at DGS and the Graphics Director for the Blueprint. This is Pragides’s first year on staff. She is currently the president of Cultures in Alliance and on the honor roll.

Pragides has been doing art since she was a kid. She has been taking AP Studio Art for the past two years. Additionally, she has won a Gold Key Award at the Scholastic Art Show for one of her pieces.

Pragides plans on studying graphic design in college. She intends to pursue a career in graphic design or illustration, and has an account on Instagram dedicated to posting her art: @eggrollecks.

All content by Alexis Pragides
All these old iPhone apps were staples to our tech-filled childhoods.

Top 10 old iPhone apps you forgot about

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
May 27, 2021
This playlist is for all of those people who want to jam out whether you are at the beach or hanging with friends

[Photo] Summer playlist to get your grooves on

Kassem Ossman, Editor-In-Chief
May 18, 2021
Urgello hones her skills on her Baldwin piano at home.

Urgello reveals her experience as a pianist

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
May 17, 2021
DGS activities has released updates regarding prom ticket sales and event information.

[Photo] Masquerade Prom 2021 ticket sale extension and update

Alex Miranda and Jacqueline Barba
April 30, 2021
With the help of the district, students will be able to have more ways to vaccinated in the future.

[Photo] District 99 provides opportunity for student vaccinations

Lauren Wilmore, News Editor
April 21, 2021
DGS Activities releases email with new information and updates regarding the 2021 Prom.

[Photo] DGS Activities details 2021 Prom modifications

Jacqueline Barba and Alex Miranda
April 19, 2021
Lil Nas X gets open about his sexuality with his new single, "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

[Photo] “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” breaks the glass ceiling

Kassem Ossman, Entertainment Editor
April 18, 2021
While students may be present at board meetings and heard in surveys, they aren't being listened to by District 99 administration.

[Photo] Seen but not heard: School board needs students to be voting members

Luc Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief
March 26, 2021
“For the past year, I’ve had to be very cautious about who I allow myself to see because a few months ago my Poppa was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. I go to his house multiple times a week to care for him and spend time with him, so I want to make sure I am as safe as possible. Having a small social bubble and taking necessary precautions are all worth it if it means keeping him safe,” junior Emily Poska said.

How has the last year changed you?

Ariel Oh, Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Annie Le, Teagan Smith, Greyson Martinescu, Anika Brown, Lexie Lukacik, Alexis Pragides, Luc Alvarez, Gwendolynne Royle, Alex Miranda, Drey McGrew, Lauren Wilmore, Andrew Calek, Kassem Ossman, and Jacqueline Barba
March 12, 2021
took-for-granted-lexie-alexis

[Photo] Things I took for granted in High School

Lexie Lukacik, Photo Editor
March 11, 2021
Toxic masculinity effects more people than some may assume and hurt the way we see men.

[Photo] The effects of toxic masculinity on the adolescents psyche

Kassem Ossman, Entertainment Editor
March 1, 2021
Some things are better left unsaid. Mimi Nieves explains her Top 12 most common questions she has been asked as a multiracial female.

[Photo] Top 12 common questions that are actually racist: What you shouldn’t say to a mixed girl

Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Social Media Director
February 26, 2021
By failing to listen to students, District 99 makes a well-intentioned, obvious misstep with purchase of Paper.

[Photo] Waste of Paper: District makes avoidable mistake with purchase of new tutoring service

Luc Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief
February 9, 2021
GameStop investors collectively drove up the value of GameStop in order to put hedge funds at a financial deficit.

[Photo] Redditors’ takedown of Wall Street opens up pathways to a destroyed economy

Annie Le, Head Copy Editor
February 5, 2021
Former president Donald Trump reacts to the Twitter trends from the day of President Biden's inauguration.

Trump throwback

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
January 29, 2021
As people of color navigate through different spaces, many say they feel the need to switch between different ways of talking in order to be perceived in a positive light.

[Photo] Acceptance over authenticity: Students and staff of color share their experiences with code-switching

Luc Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief
January 22, 2021
Traditional and digital mediums of art come in many forms such as painting, sculpture, drawing programs on tablets and more.

Paper vs. Pixels: It’s all about preference

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
January 16, 2021
The model minority myth leaves Asian-American children with the impression that nothing they accomplish is worth celebrating.

[Photo] “A” is for average: The model minority myth destroys Asian childhoods

Annie Le, Head Copy Editor
January 12, 2021
America's ego is getting the best of them. How others' actions will impact the country's unity. Read more for Mimi Nieves's thoughts.

[Photo] Trump is in all of us: Americans’ egos getting the best of us

Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Social Media Director
January 10, 2021
Find out what you should do to start off 2021 with these horoscopes.

Horoscopes; How should you ring in the new year?

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
December 31, 2020
thxgiving-Lexie-_-Alexis-1

[Photo] Horoscopes: Will you be in a food coma edition?

Lexie Lukacik, Photo Editor
November 26, 2020
We need to start addressing racism among the student body and find better ways to fix it.

[Photo] It takes more than an email: Addressing racism among students at DGN and DGS

Ariel Oh, Opinions Editor
December 7, 2020
Final Exams stress most students out, but the remote learning conditions magnify the worries many students already have about their exams

[Photo] Final exams in remote learning environment

Lauren Wilmore, News Editor
December 4, 2020
Mizener will be remembered fondly by the many generations of students he impacted.

[Photo] Jim Mizener, beloved DGS sports announcer and teacher, passes away

Jacqueline Barba, Editor-In-Chief
November 18, 2020
Zoom fatigue has caused students to become less engaged with their online classes.

‘ZZZ’oom meetings: Online learning and its effect on students’ fatigue

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
November 14, 2020
Women tend to apologize more then they need too, it can be suffocating.

[Photo] Top 12 things women apologize for: How to take our power back

Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Social Media Director
November 10, 2020
Stressed out parent teaching his class on zoom while having to keep his daughter entertained.

[Photo] Teaching and parenting worlds collide: How COVID has forced DGS teachers to manage multiple roles

Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Social Media Director
November 6, 2020
Let this quiz decide what you should be for Halloween this year.

What Halloween costume should you wear this year?

Luc Alvarez, Greyson Martinescu, and Alexis Pragides
October 30, 2020
Trick-or-treating in the time of covid is highly risky with all the safety regulations that must be met to ensure both kids going around neighborhoods and those who give out candy are safe.

COVID-19’s effect on Halloween activities

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
October 30, 2020
The Black Lives Matter movement has led many protests for justice and equality for Black lives.

[Photo] A comprehensive guide to Black Lives Matter

Teagan Smith, Features Editor
October 23, 2020
With learning split between in-person and hybrid groups, many students and teachers feel as if their classes are more disjointed than ever.

[Photo] Better on paper than in practice: Modified hybrid plan falls short

Luc Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief
October 23, 2020
People protesting for the many lives that have been lost

[Photo] You’re not alt if you don’t support the BLM

Kassem Ossman, Entertainment Editor
October 15, 2020
Find out if you're sus with this quiz!

[Photo] Which Among Us character are you really?

Kassem Ossman, Ariel Oh, Michael Nelli, and Gwendolynne Royle
October 9, 2020
Everyone is battling their own mental health struggles alone. We have to make sure we find what makes us happy and keep a positive atmosphere for each other.

[Photo] Mentally over COVID: The struggles of mental health during a pandemic

Mimi Akintunde-Nieves, Social Media Director
October 6, 2020
Wolf shares some of the ways she’s concerned students can cheat on their virtual exams. “How many other screens students are using when taking a quiz, if they are texting one another during a quiz, how to manage the class during a quiz while some finish early and others are just starting,” Wolf said.

[Photo] Virtual learning changes traditional quizzing methods

Lauren Wilmore, News Editor
September 28, 2020
College Board expects students currently under remote learning to learn at the same pace as students in in-person.

[Photo] How College Board will disappoint students with AP testing… again

Annie Le, Head Copy Editor
September 17, 2020
On social media platforms such as Instagram, activism can spread quickly and easily through resharing and hashtags.

Falling asleep or staying ‘woke?’: Performative activism on Instagram

Alexis Pragides, Graphics Director
September 16, 2020
Teachers attempt to effectively teach via Zoom despite the constant distractions and internet disruptions that often make this impossible.

[Photo] District 99 spent months planning remote learning; is this really the best we can do?

Luc Alvarez, Editor-in-Chief
September 14, 2020
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